Advisers

Christopher D. Azares, LPT

Discipline

Education

Abstract

This study examined community engagement and social support in relation to the academic experiences of LGBTQIA+ senior high school students during academic year 2025–2026. It considered well-being, confidence, leadership, peer support, study engagement, discrimination, and the need for an inclusive school environment. A correlational-quantitative design was used with thirty (30) purposively selected LGBTQIA+ senior high school students at Bestlink College of the Philippines. A survey questionnaire gathered data, which were summarized using frequency, percentage, mean, rank, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and Likert-scale interpretation. The grouping variable for the Kruskal–Wallis analysis was not identified. Most respondents were aged 16–17 years (22 students; 73.33%), and 60% identified as bisexual. HUMSS was the most represented strand. For sub-problem 1, mean ratings were 3.56% for leadership, 3.27 for peer support, and 3.59% for study engagement, all interpreted as “strongly agree.” The percentage symbols attached to the means appear erroneous and require verification. Discrimination was the most commonly reported problem. The findings describe perceived community engagement, peer support, study engagement, and discrimination among LGBTQIA+ students. The proposed action plan appropriately emphasizes a safe, inclusive, and empowering school environment. However, no academic-performance measure, relationship coefficient, or inferential result was reported, so the role of these variables in academic performance cannot be determined.

Keywords

community engagement, lgbtqia+ students, social support, study engagement, school inclusion